Reports > CCRC Summer Race Day - Castle Combe Aug 31st 2015
Class wins, fastest laps & championship for Fisher
Two Class wins, two Class fastest laps and the Class Championship for Josh Fisher in the Hudson-Evans Reynard 89FF at Castle Combe backed up by a couple of Class podiums for Steve Bracegirdle in his Van Diemen RF89 made for a truly successful day for Wayne Poole Racing.
It didn't start so well, however. Morning practice was very wet (the wettest I’ve experienced said Steve) and even caught out Josh (‘it was my fault’ he admitted) on his second lap going off and damaging a front track rod and a rear wishbone (plus one and a half wheels added car owner Richard). Even though Josh’s single lap was good enough for a mid grid starting position in Formula Ford Race 1, team boss Wayne Poole, elected to start Josh from the back in the repaired car having one eye on the championship position.
By the time the first race came around the track was drier but still damp. Josh made a good start and quickly took the class lead by the end of lap 1! Steve tried to follow in Josh’s wheel tracks but was run wide at the Esses letting Pete Diccox (in the WPR Van Diemen RF88 as his RF89 is still being repaired following damage at the last meeting) past but Pete returned the favour at Bobbies with a quick spin reversing the positions once again. Pete also managed another spin across the startline later in the race but continued. Steve had been closing in on 2nd in class but lost time being polite, letting the leaders through when being lapped, so finished third in Class.
Josh went on to finish a very creditable 8th, take the win and fastest lap in Class C and most importantly the Class championship. Race 2 followed a similar pattern with Josh starting at the back again as he hadn't set a second fastest lap in qualifying. A good start (see photo) saw Josh in the lead of Class C by the end of Lap 1 and he continued to lap quickly (his fastest lap was faster than all the Class B cars) to finish an excellent sixth. Steve and Pete reprised their Race 1 results by coming home 3rd and 4th in Class respectively.
Thew WPR team also had Guy Parr out in the Castle Combe Saloon event with his Class A Fiesta and he went well in practice, qualifying 14th in a large, 37 car, field. A good start saw Guy up to 12th at the end of Lap 1 and he continued to battle in the top half of the field until Lap 7 when a major gearbox failure ended his activities for the day.
Steve Bracegirdle brought out his Nemesis GT (which is still for sale) and qualified 11th for both Sports Racing races. The track was still wet for Race 1 but even on the warm up lap Steve felt that the old intermediate tyres he was using just weren't up to the job. After a couple of laps with the unpredictable handling Steve pulled off hoping for a drier Race 2. His prayers were answered and he was rewarded with a trouble free run to an unlapped seventh place.
